British Forces Deployment - Iraq

[R Mark Davies]

Hi David,

Yeah, not much of an exchange - a Chally 2 versus a Scimitar poor sods. I understand the other two crew managed to bale out when it brewed up though, thank God. The QDGs lost a few Scimitars during the last war as I remember (I think this one wasn't QDGs, but 12th Royal Lancers, attached to 7th Armoured) - all due to .50 cals (both US and Iraqi).

Unfortunately, the Iraqis did purchase a very small number (about one company) of CVR(T)s during the early 1980s, which made the Americans very nervous in the presence of our recce forces.

Mark

PS Interestingly, this sale of CVR(T) to Iraq constitutes about the sum total of British arms sales to Iraq of things that actually go 'bang' in combat. The anti-war brigade go on and on (and on) about us having 'armed Iraq', and having 'created the problem', but the truth of the matter is that the vast majority of so-called 'arms' sales actually constituted obsolete combat clothing, '58-Pattern Webbing, berets (lots!), military badges, compo rations (they're welcome to 'em) and other paraphernalia.